Quentin Tarantino's Weinstein Co. film "Inglorious Bastards," which has already garnered plenty of media coverage, is about to get more interesting.

The producers are searching for a co-financing partner to handle offshore territories for the WWII drama with intersecting storylines. Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein will meet with five studios from Friday through Tuesday.

After the director met Brad Pitt in France on Tuesday, those studios are already salivating over the expectation that Tarantino will land Pitt to play the key role of Aldo Raine. They'll be even keener if Tarantino's plan to meet Leonardo DiCaprio for another lead role goes well Thursday. Tarantino wants DiCaprio to play the role of Hans Landa.

Several studios said the script is vintage Tarantino and they're eager to be in business with him at a reasonable price. DiCaprio and Pitt would be appearing in a Tarantino-helmed project for the first time, though Pitt previously spoke Tarantino-scripted dialogue in a small but memorable stoner turn in the Tony Scott-directed "True Romance."

Pitt, who read "Inglorious Bastards" before studios, seems a strong logistical fit for the project. The film will shoot this fall in Germany and also in France, where Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been residing.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

The last chapter climax is, as Sleepless said, a real page-turner. Thought it would be more of a Dirty Dozen mission, but the script is less about the Basterds, and more about The Bride Shosanna. We hardly get to know the Basterds and for being a group that strikes fear into the Nazis, they really don't bandy together and do much killing apart from their introduction. Nice to see QT going back to using the mexican stand-off again; it works here. Nice touch too with making Hitler a character, rather than being talked about in other WWII flicks.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Bastards" has landed at Universal Pictures.Studio has inked a deal to partner with the Weinstein Co. to bring the World War II drama to the big screen.

The "Pulp Fiction" helmer and Harvey Weinstein met with five studios last week, and it came down to Paramount and Universal.

Tarantino has met with Brad Pitt to play the role of Aldo Raine and Leonardo DiCaprio to portray Nazi Hans Landa.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in the fall in Germany and France.

Logged

Some people have a fear of snakes. That was a somewhat rational fear. And you could do something about it at least. Stay away from long grass and nature documentaries. Easy. Others have a fear of heights. That was manageable too. Avoid tall ladders. But how do you cope when your fear is something you can’t avoid? That you have no hope of staying away from? Being afraid of the sky, where are you going to go?

Eli Roth on deck for 'Bastards'Tarantino to set full cast of war epic shortlySource: Variety

"Hostel" director Eli Roth is on deck to play a baseball bat-swinging Nazi hunter in "Inglorious Bastards," the Quentin Tarantino-directed drama that begins production this fall in Europe for the Weinstein Co. and Universal Pictures.

Brad Pitt is in talks to play Aldo Raine, leader of a rogue band of Jewish-American soldiers who wreak havoc on the bad guys in Nazi-occupied France.

Roth is in talks to play Sgt. Donnie Donowitz.

Roth played a small role in Tarantino's "Death Proof" segment of "Grindhouse" and directed one of the fake movie trailers that played during the film. Tarantino was an executive producer and lent his name as a presenter on Roth's breakout directing hit, "Hostel."

Tarantino is expected to formalize his cast shortly.

Tarantino had planned to meet with Leonardo DiCaprio for the role of SS Col. Hans Landa, only to decide that the role should be played by a German actor.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

his introduction is one of the more amusing scenes in the script, there's a funny sight gag involved. nothing really too challenging acting wise, but i still think he'll be distracting. not as bad as dicaprio for hans landa, which was WAY off.

NEW YORK -- B.J. Novak could soon be going from pushing paper to fighting Nazis.

"The Office" star is in talks to play one of the soldiers in "Inglorious Bastards," Quentin Tarantino's long-gestating film about a band of Jewish resisters in Vichy-era France.

Novak is expected to play PFC Utivich, described as a soldier of slight build who comes from New York.

The WMA-repped Novak is best known for his role on the NBC hit series, where he plays former temp Ryan. Novak also has written several episodes of the show and served as co-executive producer.

On the big screen, Novak has had small parts in the Sept. 11 drama "Reign Over Me" and Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up."

Scheduling is less likely to be a problem for Novak than it might be for other television actors; he has had a less regular role on "The Office" since his character was promoted in the fourth season to run the Dunder Mifflin corporate office in New York.

Casting is being finalized on the Weinstein Co.-Universal "Bastards," which is expected to shoot in the fall in Europe and wrap in time for a potential Cannes debut in May. Brad Pitt is in talks to play the leader of the band of fighters.

The Weinstein Co. declined comment.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

his introduction is one of the more amusing scenes in the script, there's a funny sight gag involved. nothing really too challenging acting wise, but i still think he'll be distracting. not as bad as dicaprio for hans landa, which was WAY off.

Scheduling is less likely to be a problem for Novak than it might be for other television actors; he has had a less regular role on "The Office" since his character was promoted in the fourth season to run the Dunder Mifflin corporate office in New York.

his introduction is one of the more amusing scenes in the script, there's a funny sight gag involved. nothing really too challenging acting wise, but i still think he'll be distracting. not as bad as dicaprio for hans landa, which was WAY off.

but how big is the role? is he on screen most of the time?

He's one of the main few soldiers, from what I remember he'll be around for most of the movie. Hardly talks though.

Logged

Some people have a fear of snakes. That was a somewhat rational fear. And you could do something about it at least. Stay away from long grass and nature documentaries. Easy. Others have a fear of heights. That was manageable too. Avoid tall ladders. But how do you cope when your fear is something you can’t avoid? That you have no hope of staying away from? Being afraid of the sky, where are you going to go?

The actor has joined the cast of Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Bastards," signing on to play Lt. Aldo Raine, the head of the Jewish resistance in the auteur's World War II film.

Additionally, Simon Pegg is in discussions to join the cast. David Krumholtz has an offer but may have a scheduling problem. Nastassja Kinski is meeting with Tarantino for the part of a German actress.

Pitt's character is a Southern rebel who leads a band of eight Jewish American soldiers as they exact vengeance on Nazis in German-occupied France.

Pegg would play a British lieutenant. Krumholtz's part would be that of a member of Pitt's team.

Producer Lawrence Bender said the alchemy of Pitt and Tarantino, who have never worked together as actor and director, will yield unique results. "They're going to push each other and really help make something special," he said.

Pitt's character is a voluble, freewheeling outlaw in the manner of Samuel L. Jackson's Jules Winnfield in "Pulp Fiction," prone to saying things like "we're gonna be doing one thing, and one thing only, and that's killing Nazis," according to those familiar with the script.

The signing of Pitt, who first saw the script in early July, means that the production has locked down a key role as it moves forward on an accelerated schedule.

The Weinstein Co./Universal co-production starts shooting Oct. 13 in Germany, with the plan to debut at the 2009 Festival de Cannes. "It's going to be a nine-month sprint marathon," Bender said.

Pitt has a relatively clear schedule for the fall, though he is set to start shooting the boxing drama "The Fighter" for Paramount late this year or early next year.

Bender, in Berlin scouting locations, said casting is under way for a German actor to play Hans Landa, the Nazi leader targeted by the resistance. B.J. Novak and Eli Roth are in talks to play soldiers in Pitt's rogue army, with the pair playing PFC Utivich and PFC Danowitz, respectively.

The Weinstein Co. and Universal are co-financing and co-presenting the film, with Bender producing and Erica Steinberg, Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein exec producing.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Mike Myers enlists in 'Bastards'Tarantino recruits actor to play British generalSource: Variety

Mike Myers has been recruited by Quentin Tarantino to join the ensemble cast of "Inglorious Bastards," the Tarantino-scripted pic that the Weinstein Co. and Universal will put into production Oct. 13 in Germany.

Myers will play British Gen. Ed Fenech, a military mastermind who takes part in hatching a plot to wipe out Nazi leaders.

Brad Pitt recently committed to star in the film, along with Eli Roth, and Tarantino is also courting Simon Pegg, Nastassja Kinski, David Krumholtz and B.J. Novak.

Logged

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol